Coil support device



Dec. 6, 1966 J. c. RICHEL COIL SUPPORT DEVICE Filed May 12, 1965 FIG.4

n nnn I INVENTOR BY JOHNC. RICHEL LJJZMM 1 FIGJ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,289,966 COIL SUPPORT DEVICE John C. Richel, Leechburg, Pa., assignor to Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corporation, Brackenridge, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 12, 1965, Ser. No. 455,288 2 Claims. (Cl. 24272) This invention relates to coil support devices, and more particularly to reel blocks having expansible mandrels for engaging the eye of coiled strip material.

Many processing operations require that coiled strip material be supported and either coiled or uncoiled as it enters and leaves the processing operation. Reel blocks are commonly provided for such coil support. These reel blocks are rotatably mounted and normally have a mandrel actuated by interacting mechanical cams and levers to provide for expansion and contraction thereof so that the eye of a coil mounted thereon can be firmly gripped when desired and the mandrel can be collapsed to allow a coil to be placed on the mandrel or removed therefrom when desired. Conventional type reel blocks with expanding mandrels are expensive and require precision mating parts to achieve the expansion, and often require extensive repair and maintenance to maintain these parts in good operating condition.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide an improved reel block.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a reel block having a mandrel which can be easily expanded and collapsed by a simple fluid pressure mechani'sm.

A still further, more particular object of this invention is the provision of a reel block having a mandrel formed of a plurality of segments which can be easily moved to an expanded or contracted position by an inflatable pneumatic device.

Yet another, more general object of this invention is the provision of a reel block having relatively simple mandrel expanding means that will be relatively maintenance-free.

These and other objects, together with a fuller understanding of the invention, will become apparent when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view of the device of this invention shown in the collapsed condition;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane designated by line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, taken substantially along the plane designated by the line 33 of FIG. 4, and showing the device of this invention in the expanded condition, and

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view, taken substantially along the plane designated by line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawing, the reel block of this invention is shown, and includes a central hollow shaft which is journalled for rotation by bearings shown schematically at 12. Conventional motors, gears and brakes are provided (not shown) which, in a conventional manner, control the rotation of the hollow shaft 10. Three arcuate segments, designated by the refer ence character 14, are circumferentially arranged around the shaft 10 to form a cylindrical shell concentric to the shaft 10. Each of the segments 14 has an outer, coil engaging surface 16, and an inner surface 18. A pair of guideways 2t} and 22 are secured to the shaft 10 and slidably engage, respectively, a pair of guide pins 24 and 26 secured to one of the segments 14. Three hollow, annular, elastomer tubes 28 are interposed between the shaft 10 and the segments 14. The inner rim of each of the elastomer tubes 28 is bonded to the outer surface hollow shaft 10, and the outer rim of each of the elastomer tubes 28 is bonded to the internal surface 18 of the segments 14.

A fluid conducting pipe 30 extends through the center of the shaft 10 and has extending therefrom filling fittings 32, each of which communicates with one of the elastomer tube members 28. The fluid conducting pipe 30 is connected through a conventional fluid coupling 34 and an on-otf valve 36 to a source of compressed air (not shown). The valve 36 is arranged to selectively supply compressed air to the tube members 28 to expand them or to exhaust the air from the members 28 to allow them to collapse.

In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of springs 38 are provided which reside in grooves 40 and interconnect the segments 14. The springs are normally in tension, which tends to pull the segments 14 together into the collapsed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

When the valve 36 is in the exhaust position, air will be exhausted from the tube members 28 and the springs 38 will cause the segments 14 to collapse to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this position, the segments which define a mandrel have an outer circumference of a minimum value, and in this position a coil can be slipped over the segments if the eye is larger than the circumference in the collapsed condition. When the coil has been positioned on the mandrel in the collapsed position, the valve 36 is switched to connect the compressed air to the tubular members 28 which will cause the tubular members to inflate, expanding the segments outwardly from the shaft 10 toward the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The expansion or movement of the segments 14 will continue until the outer surfaces 16 thereof engage the inner surface of the eye of the coil; and, the pressure caused by the compressed air in the tube members 28 will cause a firm gripping of the coil by the segments. The shaft can be rotated on bearings 12, with the rotation controlled by either the motor or the brakes, allowing the coil to be paid off. The guideways 20 and 22 and guide pins 24 and 26 serve to guide and locate the segments, and these, together with the bonding of the segments and the shaft to the tube membfir? 28, will insure that the segments rotate with the s a t.

If the reel block is to be used to take up a strip to form a coil rather than pay a coil off, the segments are maintained in the expanded position as the coiling is started, with the shaft rotating. When the coiling is completed, the valve 36 is moved to a position to allow the tube members 28 to deflate, which will permit the wound coil to be removed from the reel block.

Although one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, various adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A reel block for supporting a coiled strip of material comprising, a hollow central shaft, a cylindrical shell concentric to said shaft, said shell including a plurality of arcuate segments having outer surfaces which 5 form the entire outer surface of the shell and defining coil engaging means, means mounting said segments for movement radially with respect to said shaft, said mounting means including means to slidably connect at least one of said segments to said shaft, a plurality of inflatable elastomer tubes concentrically located on said shaft and positioned between said shaft and said segments within the axial limits of said shell and disposed to move the segments outwardly radially in unison when pressurized with pressure fluid to cause said coil engaging means to engage the inner surface defining the eye of the coil and permit the segments to move inwardly toward the shaft when exhausted of pressure fluid to permit movement of the coil on and off the coil engaging means, spring means circumferentially disposed about said cylindrical shell and positioned in grooves located therein for normally urging said segments towards said shaft, and fluid conducting means extending into said shaft-and communicating with said elastorner References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,145,806 1/1939 Schnedavek 242-72 2,289,453 7/ 1942 Randall 242-72 2,950,071 8/ 1960 Tidland 242-72 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,254,383 1/1961 France.

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE F. MAUTZ, Examiner. 

1. A REEL BLOCK FOR SUPPORTING A COILED STRIP OF MATERIAL COMPRISING, A HOLLOW CENTRAL SHAFT, A CYLINDRICAL SHELL CONCENTRIC TO SAID SHAFT, SAID SHELL INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ARCUATE SEGMENTS HAVING OUTER SURFACES WHICH FORM THE ENTIRE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SHELL AND DEFINING COIL ENGAGING MEANS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID SEGMENTS FOR MOVEMENT RADIALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHAFT, SAID MOUNTING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS TO SLIDABLY CONNECT AT LEAST ONE OF SID SEGMENTS TO SAID SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF INFLATABLE ELASTOMER TUBES CONCENTRICALLY LOCATED ON SAID SHAFT AND POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID SHAFT AND SAID SEGMENTS WITHIN THE AXIAL LIMITS OF SAID SHELL AND DISPOSED TO MOVE THE SEGMENTS OUTWARDLY RADIALLY IN UNISON WHEN PRESSURIZED WITH PRESSURE FLUID TO CAUSE SAID COIL ENGAGING MEANS TO ENGAGE THE INNER SURFACE DEFINING THE EYE OF THE COIL AND PERMIT THE SEGMENTS TO MOVE INWARDLY TOWARD THE SHAFT WHEN EXHAUSTED OF PRESSURE FLUID TO PERMIT MOVEMENT OF THE COIL ON AND OFF THE COIL ENGAGING MEANS, SPRING MEANS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DISPOSED ABOUT SAID CYLINDRICAL SHELL AND POSITIONED IN GROOVES LOCATED THEREIN FOR NORMALLY URGING SAID SEGMENTS TOWARDS SAID SHAFT, AND FLUID CONDUCTING MEANS EXTENDING INTO SAID SHAFT AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ELASTOMER TUBES TO SELECTIVELY PROVIDE AND EXHAUST PRESSURE FLUID TO AND FROM SAID ELASTOMER TUBES. 